Essays and Participation: Definitions and Standards
Beggs/HON 171 & 172
I. Essays
What makes one argumentative essay excellent and another not quite excellent, or
even only adequate? Since argumentative essays articulate a thesis along with the reasons
that support that thesis, then such essays have two aspects which may be evaluated
somewhat independently. For, on the one hand, as articulation an essay is a linguistic
performance, but, on the other hand, as thesis with reasons an essay embodies rational
activity. An essay can thus be evaluated with respect to both its language/writing and its
thinking/argument. That being said, I will still assign a single grade to your essays as
wholes.
Speaking of grades, you need to be aware of the definition of plagiarism, and of
the grave consequences that accompany some infractions. Briefly, plagiarism is
representing the ideas or words of another without citation, as if they were your own. If
your work is shown to be plagiarized you may be dismissed from the Honors College.
Argument
What is an argument? Simply, it is a primary claim supported by reasons. (Some
of these reasons may themselves be secondary claims supported by reasons.) Now, for
HON 171/72, a merely expository essay will not count as an argument. That is, it is never
sufficient merely to explain a text, to make it clearer, to reorganize its ideas, or to give
examples of those ideas. On the other hand, such expository writing is necessary in the
argumentative essays I require you to write. This is so because, since your thesis will be
your significant claim about something pertaining to one or more of the texts we read,
then you will have to explain aspects of those texts in order to show not only how your
claim is relevant to them but how your reader should think about those texts and their
ideas.
All this suggests what must be the dimensions for evaluating arguments. (1) The
central claim (thesis) must be yours, that is, must express your insight about the ideas
under discussion. (2) Reasons for claims must depend heavily on evidence developed
from the text itself. For this course, argumentative essays are not research papers. Those
reasons must be clearly or demonstrably relevant to the claim. (Note that “reasons” is
plural. How much is enough? That will depend on several factors, but common sense is
trustworthy here.) To develop evidence from the text means that you will use expository
prose in interpreting the text. Other reasons will derive from logical analysis, widelyaccepted historical or sociological facts, and so on. (3) Each of the core concepts that the
argument makes use of must be cogently explained. Failure to do this will result in
logical fallacies such as equivocation (English handbooks, mentioned below, will define
this with examples), or in confusions or ambiguities that will be fatal to the integrity of
the argument. (4) Finally, non-trivial objections to the thesis must be fairly articulated
and then rebutted.
Dimensions become standards when we realize that essays fulfill them in varying
degrees. Thus, theses of the very best essays are strikingly insightful. All of their reasons
are undeniably effective support of the thesis. In addition, the differing weights or
significance that reasons have is acknowledged, and this is reflected in the essays’ logical
but creative development. Explanations of core concepts are adroitly, thoroughly, and
unobtrusively woven into the flow of ideas. Finally, since an argument is an attempt to
persuade, then excellent essayists will cannily anticipate objections astute readers will
have, will articulate them as fairly as possible, and will rebut them effectively.
The thesis of a good essay is thoughtful and interesting, and is sufficiently
supported by clearly relevant reasons. However, it may be that not every reason is
manifestly relevant, or that not every conceptual explanation is logical, or that there is a
disproportion between the strength of a reason and its role in supporting the thesis—the
trivial may be emphasized or the significant slighted. The persuasiveness of the argument
may be diminished by a one-sided articulation of objections, or by weak rebuttal.
The thesis of an only adequate essay is mostly cogent and fairly plausible, but
does not engage the reader’s intellect or imagination, does not force the reader to re-think
their own understanding of the texts and ideas under discussion. Merely expository theses
have these qualities. In addition, whether or not the thesis is merely expository, the
reasons for the thesis tend too often not to appeal to textual or other clearly relevant
evidence, but rather are often simply assertions by the author of their beliefs or feelings.
Moreover, the argument may be marred by one or more significant inconsistencies. The
development tends to lose focus, or even to ramble and shift about. Objections are usually
not considered. Of course, any one of these problems may be so pronounced as to tip the
essay over the line of adequacy.
Writing
How will language use and writing style be evaluated? No essay can be
considered excellent if it contains noticeably many grammatical errors, such as improper
uses of the apostrophe, lack of subject/verb agreement, or comma splices. Students who
desire to develop the skills necessary to write excellent essays, but are unsure what
comma splices are, or more generally are unclear about what syntax encompasses, must
acquire and use a good English handbook. (I take it as given that everyone uses a good
dictionary for both reading and writing.)
The quality of language use in good essays falls between best and adequate. In
the best essays, the organization of the ideas will be clear and creative, and similar
qualities will be evident in the structures of the sentences and paragraphs. Sentences
reveal subordination and coordination of concepts; they vary in type, complexity, and
length. Diction is correct, precise and imaginative without being overdone. Since the best
essays articulate fresh ideas or develop new contexts for old ideas, they’ll express the
author’s individuality, and so will sometimes find it appropriate to use the first-person
singular.
In merely adequate essays, there is evidence that the organization of the essay has
been considered, but the results are somewhat unclear, or, at the other end of the
spectrum, are simplistic (e.g. “the five-paragraph essay”). In addition, the sentence
structures of only adequate essays tend to be simple and/or repetitive; many paragraphs
are marked by ungrammaticality or lack of idiomatic useage; diction tends to be
imprecise and may even be careless.
II. Participation
There are five dimensions for evaluation of participation: attendance, preparation,
discussion (in which quantity has some but not decisive bearing), small-group activities,
and (ungraded) in-class and take-home writing assignments. Although these factors are
not each evaluated quantitatively, preparation and discussion are most important.
One reason that missing more than two classes without good reason (medical,
family emergency, and the like) will subtract from your participation score is that other
students have interesting and important things to say. You have lots to learn from your
peers because most of them come to class well prepared most of the time.
To have read the material carefully prior to discussion and to have highlighted
key passages is adequate preparation. To have seriously engaged the ideas in the text, as
evidenced, for example, by writing notes in the margin and on separate sheets of paper, is
good preparation. To have worked on the texts’ ideas and your notes, to have developed
useful or insightful comments on them, to have discovered logical inconsistencies or
symbolic patterns in the texts, and so on, are all signs of excellent preparation.
Excellent preparation is necessary for consistently excellent discussion, but not
sufficient. Why the qualification “consistently”? Because honors students are sometimes
able to quickly uptake the complex ideas that others articulate and to connect them to
their own ideas, ideas that will sometimes derive from less-than-excellent preparation. In
general, an excellent discussant will communicate to the others, clearly and cogently,
what they think, and they will contribute to the intellectual atmosphere by being a careful
listener. Equally important, they will be able to sustain discussion about their ideas. That
is, they will be able not only to clarify what they have said when needed, they will also be
able to formulate relevant responses to objections. On the other hand, they will also be
able to ask others insightful questions about their views, or, perhaps more importantly,
will be able to develop and extend the ideas of others. Good discussants engage others in
these ways rather less often, but not never; adequate discussants say what they think,
more or less clearly, but they are rarely able to sustain discussion or to truly engage the
comments of others.
Small-group activities rely on slightly a different mix of skills than seminarsized groups. This is so because there are often specific tasks or roles assigned to
individuals within such groups, which requires a greater degree of cooperation among its
members than larger groups. Since there is less emphasis on individual performance and
more on group success, then more attention should be given to the facilitation of others’
ideas, and to group process and goals.
With respect to non-essay writing assignments, both in-class and take-home,
what is required is simply serious application. The qualities called for are similar to both
discussion and essay writing, but are less formal.